Dragonflight: Dragonriders of Pern

On the beautiful planet Pern, colonized for centuries, Land Holders and Craftsmen have traditionally tithed food and supplies to the dragonweyrs to which they are bound. In times past, the mighty telepathic dragons and their riders were the only protection from the dreaded, life-threatening Thread. Now those times may be returning....

Dragonflight: Dragonriders of Pern

On the beautiful planet Pern, colonized for centuries, Land Holders and Craftsmen have traditionally tithed food and supplies to the dragonweyrs to which they are bound. In times past, the mighty telepathic dragons and their riders were the only protection from the dreaded, life-threatening Thread. Now those times may be returning....

Dragonsong: Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 1

Dragonsong is the spellbinding tale of Menolly of Half Circle Hold, a brave young girl who flees her seaside village and discovers the legendary fire lizards of Pern. All her life, Menolly has longed to learn the ancient secrets of the Harpers, the master musicians of Harper Hall. When her stern father denies her the chance to make her dream come true, Menolly runs away from home. Hiding in a cave by the sea, she finds nine magical fire lizards who join her on a breathtaking journey to Harper Hall.

Dragon's Kin: Dragonriders of Pern, Book 18

Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon, a coal mining settlement struggling to turn a profit far from the great Holds where the presence of dragons and their riders means safety and civilization. Mining is fraught with danger. Fortunately, the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts.

The Rowan: Tower and Hive, Book 1

The kinetically gifted, trained in mind/machine gestalt, are the most valued citizens of the Nine Star League. Using mental powers alone, these few Prime Talents transport ships, cargo, and people between Earth's Moon, Mars' Demos and Jupiter's Callisto.

Freedom's Landing: Freedom Series, Book 1

It's the dawning of a new age for mankind when the Catteni descend to Earth and easily overcome the Earth's population. Thousands are herded onto slave ships headed for the intergalactic auction block. Kris Bjornsen is captured in Denver on her way to her college classes and wakes up on the primitive planet Barevi.

Closer to the Chest: The Herald Spy, Book Three

Herald Mags, the King of Valdemar's Herald-Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe.

At the Sign of Triumph: Safehold, Book 9

The Church of God Awaiting's triumph over Charis was inevitable. Despite its prosperity, the Charis was a single, small island realm. It boasted less than two percent of the total population of Safehold. How could it possibly resist total destruction? The Church had every reason to be confident of a swift, crushing victory, an object lesson to other rebels.

In Ashes Born: A Seeker's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, Book 1

An old friend. A new course. A deadly ship with a secret cargo. Ishmael Wang returns to Port Newmar, but ghosts from his past have followed him. His old shipmate, Phillip Carstairs, offers him the opportunity to track down the man who killed his lover. The catch? He must take command of the Chernyakova, a ship that still stinks of death and haunts Ishmael's nightmares. Together Phillip and Ismael begin a journey into unknown reaches of the Deep Dark to bring back the man who killed Greta.

Shadow of Victory

Sometimes things don't work out exactly as planned. The Mesan Alignment has a plan - one it's been working on for centuries. A plan to remake the galaxy and genetically improve the human race - its way. Until recently things have gone pretty much as scheduled, but then the Alignment hit a minor bump in the road called the Star Empire of Manticore. So the Alignment engineered a war between the Solarian League, the biggest and most formidable interstellar power in human history.

Nimisha's Ship

On Vega III, where the jaded inhabitants pursue lives of malicious intrigue and decadent pleasure, Lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense has always been an anomaly. Disdainful of the frivolity of her fellows, she prefers the exciting and challenging world of her father, Lord Tionel, owner and principal starship designer of the famous Rondymense shipyards.

Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern

When Anne McCaffrey passed in November 2011, it was not only those closest to her who mourned her death; legions of readers also felt the loss deeply. The pioneering science fiction author behind the Dragonriders of Pern series crafted intricate stories, enthralling worlds, and strong heroines that profoundly impacted the science fiction community and genre.

In Dragonwriter, Anne’s son and Pern writer Todd McCaffrey collects memories and stories about the beloved author, along with insights into her writing and legacy, from those who knew her best.

Publisher's Summary

Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of many talents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that would never amount to anything.

But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying all rules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemed but a minor disobedience - until they found themselves in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all.

I have read all of the Pern books & Out of all of them Jaxsom and Ruth are the most memorable of them all! Every boy wants a dragon. And this is a story where one boy gets his dream and proves to the world he and his dragon are just as good as the rest.

Narration: Dick Hill, while not the worst is certainly not the best by any means. He range of voices is limited and it sounds like his lips are right up next to the mic so you can hear every little slup or smack as he speaks. I really enjoyed Sally Darlings reading of a few of the books - she had a grandmotherly way about her voice, as if you were listening to Anne McCaffrey reading to you. You get a good example of Dick Hill's reading, slupping and all in the example listen. So have a listen and then thing of hours upon hours of that.

Story - Very nicely written, a classic in every sense of the word. If you haven't read any of the Dragon Riders of Pern books, start with Dragon Flight and skip anything by Todd McCaffrey (Anne's son - he can't write to save his soul).

I am always amazed when reading these books, I seem to pick up new things with each reading. And I do read this series more than listen. Dick Hill was very annoying and I'm not likely to relisten to him.

Have a listen to the Harper Hall Series by Anne McCaffrey - Same world as The White Dragon (and others in the Dragonriders of Pern Series) but with imho a better narrator!

Or start another great series by Anne McCaffrey and pick up "The Rowan" another great listen/book and very good narrator.

The names mostly. Dick, you done alright. Some things set my teeth on edge. Fandarels voice for instance. Some pronunciations, but I know in a fantasy novel the unfamiliar places and names are open for interpretation. But I just listened to Mel read "all the Weyrs" and compared to his excremental reading, you are a masterharper.

Any additional comments?

I've always been curious. Does anybody involved in the production of an audiobook consult with the author on pronunciation and other grey areas? A stress on the wrong word in a sentence can significantly alter it's meaning, destroying the point the author was trying to make. I've heard it often. Yes, in this series too (sorry Dick). Does the author get final say before release? I picture her with a headset on and a note pad in her lap. Later, a call to the studio. "That"s great, but if you could call the performer in for one more sitting, I have some changes I'd like to make." Well, if that were the case, I would have no reason to wonder. I just want to see a little more professionalism, a little more effort, a little more quality. Hell, if i can hear what Anne was trying to say, despite the way it was said, so can any professional in a soundbooth. Read the book before you start. Not just the performer, but all involved. If you want some help, I'm available

Oh yeah, What the hell was that distracting background noise? It sounds like you did this in a busy office building with other conversations going on ten feet away from the mic. Does this amateurish garbage NOT get noticed before being released? I'd be embarrassed to put my name on something a 9th grader could do better. All through the book, some garbled conversation from the background distracting me. Why does nobody care about quality anymore?

The White Dragon, like the Masterharper of Pern, spans over the same time line as many of the other books combined and is a much listen for all Pern lovers and those who haven't visited Pern yet. From the birth of the white dragon, to the visit to the red star - Pern is a must read for all fantasy lovers.

This is my favorite story from the Dragonriders series and Dick Hill is an able narrator. The world is wonderfully fleshed out and inviting. McCaffrey does an interesting trick with the third book in this trilogy- the main characters from the first two books become supporting characters for the third which allows different aspects of their personalities to come out because you see them from a different point of view. I strongly recommend the first two books in this series, Dragonflight and Dragonquest, as well as the Harperhall trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums).

I read these books sometime ago and enjoyed them immensely! With Audible.com, I can hear a talented reader with a good voice read them to me while I do other things with my eyes and hands, like painting, counted thread embroidery, crochet or knitting etc, things from which I cannot necessarily look up to glance at the TV.